Make sure you read these guidance notes carefully before completing an application.
What is the Neighbourhood Support Fund?
Our Neighbourhood Support Fund provides support and offers assistance with the development of community based projects for voluntary and community groups that are active within their communities. The fund is divided up between each of the five Area Partnerships (Berwickshire, Cheviot, Eildon, Teviot and Liddesdale and Tweeddale). The amounts provided are subject to periodic review by ourselves.
Each Area Partnership may operate a different assessment process.
Berwickshire Neighbourhood Support Fund
The Neighbourhood Support Fund is relatively small (for example, between 2014-19 the allocation of money was between £20k-£30k per year) and the level of award allocated will reflect the amount available to meet overall demand. Over recent years we have provided grants of between £300-£5k, in support of about eight applications per year. The success of your application will be improved by demonstrating that you have explored, and in some cases, secured other funding sources.
The Berwickshire Neighbourhood Support Fund will be operated in line with the principles of best practice and our Code of Practice for following the Public Pound.
Applications for funding
To be able to apply for funding you need to meet the following conditions:
- a voluntary or community group that is based in Berwickshire
- a non-Berwickshire based voluntary or community group who can demonstrate direct benefits for Berwickshire people
- your group must be fully constituted or have group rules and have a minimum of three group members. Unconstituted groups must apply through an umbrella organisation who can support your application (for example, a Community Council)
- have a bank or building society account in the group's name
- have independently approved annual accounts (new groups must be able to provide a 12 month estimate of income and expenditure)
- be committed to equality for all and equality of opportunity
You should also have the following documents
- quotes for items of expenditure
The signed constitution/ group rules, bank statements and annual accounts must all be in the same name as the name of the applicant group/organisation given on page one of the application.
If you don't have these documents, contact the Communities and Partnerships Team by:
- phone: 0300 100 1800
- email: communitygrants@scotborders.gov.uk
Applications are welcome from groups working in partnership but one group must be identified as the lead applicant.
We recommend that you should check other possible funding sources before applying, such as the National Lottery Community Fund. Recognition will be made to groups that have match funding in place or can demonstrate that they have attempted to secure funding from elsewhere.
Applications need to be submitted well in advance of project start dates as no retrospective funding is given.
How much is available?
- groups can apply for grants up to £5k
- 10% organisational financial contribution is required for requests of £500 and over
- grants of up to £499 can be funded up to 100%
What can funding be used for?
Funding can be used for a variety of purposes including:
- the purchase of equipment
- small capital works
- hire and running costs
- maintenance costs
- capacity building projects
- Grass root staffing costs (please contact Communities and Partnership if you need to discuss this)
Funding may also be used for local participatory budgeting (Community Choices).
We would also encourage applicants to consider going plastic free where possible. We have made a commitment towards becoming more sustainable and reducing emissions over a number of years. If you would like more information on going plastic free, Zero Waste Scotland have lots of information on:
Outcomes of the project
Your group's activities must make a real difference within the community. The impact it makes needs to be measurable in terms of both number of community members benefiting and the scale of that benefit. Examples of the outcomes that successful past projects have achieved are:
- communities have more access to better quality local services or activities (including arts, music, heritage, and wellness or sports activities)
- communities have more access to a better quality environment (including the built environment)
- communities have more pride in their community
- communities have more access to better quality advice and information
- more local groups or services are better supported to recover from financial difficulty
- building community capacity and fostering the sustainability of local initiatives
- increasing community involvement in local regeneration and development
- supporting the acquisition, development and use of community assets
- supporting skill development and not for profit initiatives that will help lead to job creation and a diverse local economy
- fostering social networks and increasing community engagement with local organisations, activities and initiatives
- overcoming the barriers that can prevent disadvantaged or excluded members of the community from enjoying a high quality of life, particularly young people and older people
- involving local people in the sensitive and sustainable stewardship of the natural environment you will be asked, in the application form, how you will demonstrate and measure the success and the impact of your project against your chosen outcomes
Who cannot apply?
- individuals
- groups that wish to pass the funding on to individuals
- organisations involved in party political activities
- companies who aim to make a profit for distribution to individuals/shareholders
- statutory bodies
What cannot be funded?
Funding cannot pay for:
- ordering or spending which has taken place prior to application approval
- alterations and improvements to licensed serving areas
- trips abroad
- maintenance of private roadways
- used vehicles
- planning applications
- hospitality: food and drink
- Repeat staffing costs
Project planning
- speak to people your project is aimed at, gather community views and responses
- speak to groups/organisations/services connected to your project theme to see if they can enhance your project or work with you
- determine what will and won’t work in your area
- describe what activities you plan to deliver and how, what difference will this make in your area and how will you measure the impact the project makes such as numbers of people involved and feedback from those involved
- define what resources/people/venues etc. are needed to make your project work
- if your project involves a building, lease of land or a public space, permissions/agreement from the relevant body must be gained before making an application
- identify who will be responsible for the different elements of your project
- if your project involves any form of construction you need to have heritable ownership of the land or building, or hold a lease that cannot be brought to an end by the landlord for at least five years
Applicants should demonstrate that they have checked other sources of funding before applying to the scheme and, where possible, have secured some level of matched funding. Applicants should note that they may be asked to apply to other funding sources when appropriate. For advice on other funding opportunities, contact:
Grants Administrator
- address: Communities and Partnerships Team, Council Headquarters, Newtown St. Boswells TD6 0SA
- phone: 0300 100 1800
Berwickshire Association of Voluntary Service
- address: 55 Newtown Street, Duns TD11 3AU
- phone: 01361 883137
Borders Community Action
- Address: 1 Drygrange Cottage, Drygrange Steading, Melrose, TD6 9DJ
How will projects be assessed?
Funding applications will follow a two stage process. Firstly, an application will be assessed against basic eligibility criteria:
- the project falls within the scope of the grant scheme
- your group’s commitment to promoting equality for all and equality of opportunity
- if you have completed a project supported by a grant from the community fund, you must have completed and submitted an evaluation form
- all relevant supporting documents are submitted with the application, including relevant permissions, if your group does not have a constitution, rules or a bank account you should send us information about the umbrella group who will manage the grant on your behalf if you are successful. This group will them be treated as the applicant and should submit the application and supporting papers
- all application questions have been completed
If the application meets the eligibility criteria it will enter stage two and be passed forward to Berwickshire Neighbourhood Support Fund Assessment Panel for full assessment. You will be expected to:
- give details of what your organisation does, describe the work your group does in your own words, as this will help with the assessment process, do not simply copy the aims and objectives from your constitution or rules
- describe the project in a way which is measurable in terms of both the number of community members benefiting and/or the scale of that benefit
- explain what need/demand has been evidenced for your project/activity
- provide evidence that your proposal has wide community support
- describe the impact your project will make within the community and quantify the benefits you believe will be gained
- demonstrate how you will measure how well your project meets your proposed outcomes/impacts and how you will monitor progress
- say how your group is set up, managed and where appropriate what specific skills and expertise you have to deliver the project
- describe your plans for the sustainability of the project
- indicate your current finances and the financial needs of the project
- show what efforts you have made to secure other sources of funding and what success you have achieved as matched funding is seen as a strength
- explain how you have made use of previous grants and funding notes
- if your group has more savings than the income your group receives in a year, you should explain what you are planning to do with this money, if you have not set aside this money for anything specific funding is unlikely to be awarded
- canvassing of members of the Berwickshire Neighbourhood Support Fund Assessment Panel is not permitted
How are decisions made?
Decisions on funding will be considered and determined by the Berwickshire Neighbourhood Support Fund Assessment Group who will subsequently report their decisions to the Berwickshire Area Partnership for approval.
What happens if funding is approved?
Funding can only be used for the purpose defined in the application. Projects receiving funding must commence within 12 months from the date of acceptance of the funding. Upon completion of your project and 12 months from receipt of the Neighbourhood Support Funds, whichever comes first, you will be required to complete an evaluation and submit receipts to evidence that the amount given has been used for the purpose intended. The conditions of any offer of funding, along with the project outcomes, will be monitored by the Berwickshire Neighbourhood Support Fund Assessment Panel through your evaluation report.
Any amount not used must be repaid in full.
Failure to comply with any conditions attached to funding may result in the funding being repaid to us and affect future funding awards.
What is the time-scale for funding?
You must send in your completed application with supporting documents by the deadlines.
Berwickshire Area Partnership dates:
Round one of funding:
- Application deadline: 1 August 2024
- Berwickshire Area Partnership meeting: 5 September 2024
Round two of funding
- Application deadline: 2 December 2024
- Area Partnership meeting: 6 February 2025
If your application is successful, you will receive an award letter specifying the terms and conditions. You must sign and return one full copy to us within three weeks. Funding will not be paid until we have received a signed award letter. Following receipt of the signed award letter and acceptance of the terms and conditions, grants will be paid either directly into your bank or building society account or paid out by cheque.
If you are successful, it can take up to one month for us to process your payment.
Support
If you have any issues, need help to complete the form or have any other questions, contact the Communities and Partnerships Team 0300 100 1800.
Otherwise, all completed forms and attachments should be submitted by email communitygrants@scotborders.gov.uk